George Gershwin's Porgy & Bess was intended to be an American folk opera, with jazz as the lifeblood of its score. But, as a musical show, it had to be all written down, could not take chances with improvisation, and thus lacked the prime ingredient of jazz. Now Bethlehem Records has taken a daring step: with an impressive concentration of forces—including Duke Ellington's band, the Australian Jazz Quintet, a vocal group and ten leading singers—it has recorded the famed work in a real jazz spirit. Each selection is accompanied by a different combo, e.g., Duke Ellington for a highly charged version...
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